Starting with the July-August
editionof the Black Excel Newsletter we began a
new series of Q & A's on our counseling ideas/strategies
that have helped students get into an "honor roll" of colleges and universities
across the US. This Sept.-Oct. edition of the Black Excel Newsletterwill continue our series
of helpful Q & A counseling.

We are hopeful that these
"special" editions will be circulated to our students, parents, mentors,
and educators as an ongoing counseling tool. -Isaac Black,
Founder Black Excel: The College Help Network (www.BlackExcel.org).

Picking A College and Application Strategy
(For Parents and Students)

Question: How Do You "Pick a College"
and "Whatshould your application strategy be?"

Black Excel Founder:

This is a major question of both students
and parents. First,never target just one school. Never!
In counseling sessions wealways suggest that you apply to a minimum
of 5 or 6 schools.You must hedge your bets, period.
In fact, if you are a strongor honors-level student, you should apply
to even more schools.

You should be hopeful about accepts, but
never assume anything. Whatever your selected or first-choice collegepicks are, always add one or two of your
state-supportedschools to your application lists. You
should apply to stateschools routinely, no matter what your
picks or favoritepicks or schools might be (keep reading
for an explanation).

Whatever you decide to do, in the "end
game" nothing ismore comforting than having several accepts--and
options--in the bag. What follows in an example
of sound application planning.

A Case Scenario?

Let's assume that an academically strong
New York studentwants to apply to Wesleyan (CT), Boston
College (MA), Cornell of the Ivy League (New York) and HBCU Spelman (GA).
Such a student should back that grouping with an application to two highly
regarded public New York State schools, perhaps SUNY Albany or Binghamton.
Also, the student would be wise to apply to one of the fine but lesser-ranked
SUNY schools. You do this because it's an intelligent win-win backup
strategy. In such a group of selections, I would also advise such a student
to include another highly ranked HBCU school like Hampton. You want
two HBCUs that can deliver the same kind of punch in the mix. (See end
note about super, good, average, and eed-a-second- chance strategies.)

A wise student and family never makes a
decision in regard to any accept until they see a school's financial aid
package. That's a key factor, when you look at your total needs and make
comparisons. Be aware that your state-supported schools are often
1/3 the cost of private or out-of-state schools, and often deliver just
as much "power." A pivotal question? What's the best buy when
you factor in prestige, campus environment, academics, track record, etc.?
To me, that's something to think about. Often we're picking schools
willy-nilly and don't understand the playing field. We often pick
John Doe College (fictional name) when that cheaper state school offers
equal or greater firepower. Indeed, often we make our picks without
really doing the necessary research or seeing the big picture. The
point is that during the "end game" we must make prudent decisions.

Of course, there are prestigious and high-priced
schools that will offer bargain or great aid packages. Sometimes we can
get a tuition-free deal. If so, wonderful. Often that "name"
school is worth the money. But the point is that you don't know what
the real deal is (in regard to money or otherwise) until everything is
on the table. You have to do your homework. What school will really
be an advantageous pick, all things considered?

Question: In selecting a college, what
are the thingsyou should consider?

First and foremost that depends on the
student/child--that is, his or her academic ability, personality, the social
scene (Greeks, maybe), the racial mix, sports, their individual needs.
One student might desire a feeling of being at home, needing friendly support.
Another student might not blink if they are going it alone and are a minority
in regard to race, cultural issues, religion, or something else.
To some, weather, location, or school size might really matter. Sometimes
a student wants a private bathroom instead of having to go to a communal
shower.

From a counseling perspective I always
try to give a total overview of issues to consider. For example,
what are thegraduation and/or retention rates of a
particular school? Are you sending your student/child to a college where
"we" generally graduate? Sometimes we don't do that. Spelman
College, for example, graduates most of the students that enter.
Wouldn't you feel reassured if your child was heading to a place where
the odds are that she or he will get a degree? And, as I've already pointed
out, "the big bad wolf"--money--is always lurking to unnerve us.
Knowing the angles and how your pocketbook could be tapped, is a concern.

Question: What's your opinion on most
college counselors and what they say about the ApplicationProcess and Picking Colleges?

Generally, most students/parents are looking
for answers and support, and are not getting it. That's the sad truth.
My opinionis based on many years of interaction
with literally thousandsof our students and/or their families.
At lectures, college fairs,and elsewhere, it's clear that "counseling"
info is missing for the most part. Forget about "insiders tips,"
"beat-the-odds" tactics, even what I would call the basics in regard to
what to do. All things considered, our students/parents are going
it alone.

In my opinion, the majority of college
counselors rate a C-minusor less, for a myriad of reasons.
The good or great ones are, in my opinion, in the minority. To be
fair, many have caseloads that can go higher than 300-to-1. Another problem
is that many career advisors are counseling by rote year after year.
Too often, there is no attention to "our" special needs. Without
a doubt, too many use an assembly-line approach to get the job done.
That doesn't work. Here are telltale signs that all is not well:

1) The "assembly-line" effect has been
in place for years at a high school. There is never any talk or posting
of an honor roll of college and university accepts.

2) Our "star" students are not being told
or encouraged to apply to some of the most prestigious colleges.

3}The counselor has little or no knowledge
of HBCUs, and rarely mentions them.

4) Students who need a "second chance"
are left neglected and not told about the many open admissions schools
that will accept virtually all high school graduates.

5) A student has had little or no hands-on
college counseling.

6)Few students are getting a personalized
overview of their particular "packages" and options.

7)A school/counselor has no college newsletter,
website links to resources, and no info gateway: about college fairs, tours,
college open house and orientations, test dates, or other related helpful
material.

There are, of course other tell-take signs
of neglect that are too numerous to list here. If you and your student/child
don't feel like you have a handle on the process, something is wrong.
It seems to me that students at large urban/public schools, are really
shortchanged. Students that are fortunate enough to attend private
schools get more attention, to be sure. A lot of those schools have
reputations that.are based on college placement and counselors have
to generate "accept" lists. In any case, I still get a lot of complaints
from students and parents attending those schools. There seems to
be, in a lot of cases, a tier system, where our students are too
often not "pitched" to the top schools because "other" students are getting
that attention. I hear this a lot in emails, letters, and calls
asking for help. Across the board, wherever we are, I would say that
most of our folks need counseling A to Z.

Question: What should students and parents
be doing to stay informed and get better results with regard to picking
and applying to schools?

First, you should be looking for people
who really care. When you find them, these educators, mentors, counselors,
cultural groups or whoever, will be on "a mission." There are many
cultural and social organizations that are offering help. I have
found, too, that many of the people who organize our college tours are
our unsung heroes. Your best advocates are offering support, trying
to get answers, and looking beyond the so-called rules and published stats.
The message? You can do it, you can get in.

Good advice can take you to the mountain
top. Students I have counseled who initially thought that highly ranked,
Ivy League, or great HBCUs were beyond their reach, now know better.
Students who though they had "messed up totally" and had thrown their lives
away were told the truth: You can excel. You can get a second
chance if you need it. One thing that a student/family needs is the right
pitch, a roadmap, and the inspiration and motivation.

End note:

In my book, the Black
Excel African American Student's College Guide(John Wiley &
Sons) I lay out application strategies for super, good, average, and "need
a second chance" students. It's a counseling tutorial, A to Z, about
everything you need to know. It's available at Amazon.com,and at major bookstores (order it if it's
sold out, usingISBN 0-471-28552-3).

The guide is also a featured book at the
Black ExpressionsBook Club (www.blackexpressions.com).
Go to the"Reference" or "Culture and Heritage"
sections.

In the next edition of the newsletter I
will talk about "Aid and Scholarships." The overall theme of all these
newsletters will be to give you info on how to present your child/student
to bestadvantage during the admissions process
and beyond.

Isaac Black's Bio

Isaac Black is the Founder of Black Excel:
The College HelpNetwork (www.BlackExcel.org). He is also
the author of theBlack Excel African American Student's
College Guide(see above). Isaac has been a keynote
speaker for theCollege Board (NYC), and has lectured
at college fairs, highschools, and colleges and universities
including Howard(for the Urban League) and Harvard.

Over 500 colleges and a larger number of
cultural and other organizations, post Back Excel resource materials at
their websites.